Current approaches towards commercial production of PHB fall generally into two categories: nonsterile approaches in which PHB production is induced through environmental conditions, or genetic engineering approaches in which single strains are engineered for high production and rapid growth. In the first case, a vast number of conditions must be analyzed to determine which conditions select for promising microbes, and which conditions induce high PHB production. In the second case, libraries of mutant strains must be analyzed for high performing cells.
What is needed is a high throughput system that reduces the time required per replicate. What is further needed is a method and system directed to accelerating the development of high yield strains and conditions.